Sunshine Matters

VISIT FLORIDA, in partnership with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), has created an online training program for front-line employees in the hospitality and tourism industry.  Before rolling the program out to the industry, VISIT FLORIDA has selected 11 DMOs to participate in a trial.  We will monitor participation and industry feedback through the end of the fiscal year before opening the module to all counties and creating additional training modules.

I would like to thank the following DMOs for serving as our focus group for the new hospitality training program:

• Visit Gainesville
• Panama City Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Visit Citrus
• Visit Jacksonville
• Jefferson County Tourist Development Council
• Levy County Visitors Bureau
• Ocala / Marion County Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Martin County Tourism and Marketing Office
• Discover the Palm Beaches
• St. John’s County Visitors and Convention Bureau
• Visit South Walton

We all know that Guest Service employees are the ‘boots on the ground’ for the tourism industry.  Often they are the people with the first and last interactions with our visitors, and tend to make the biggest difference in the guest’s experience.  Whether a bartender, receptionist or information specialist, these employees directly impact whether or not a guest will become a repeat visitor.

To this end, the first topic in the series will be “The Power of One: Creating Memorable Guest Experiences in the Sunshine State,” aimed at empowering front-line employees with an understanding of hospitality and how to create lasting, memorable guest experiences.  This 45-minute online training module will cover topics such as the power of empathy in assisting visitors, the importance of being present and focused in guest interactions, and listening to and responding with in-the-know-info and recommendations.

Once the training program goes public to the industry later this year, VISIT FLORIDA Marketing Partners and businesses engaged with their local DMO can provide their front-line employees with free access to the training modules.  To view a list of the participating DMOs, please click here.  To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA’s hospitality training program, check out VISITFLORIDA.org/training or email training@VISITFLORIDA.org.